Loading machine



J. L. CLARKSON Dec. 20, 1938.

LOADING MACHINE Original Filed 001. 25, i934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. 1.. CLARKSON Dec. 20, 1938.

LOADING MACHINE ts-Sheet 2 2 Shea Original Filed Oct. 25, 1934 Joy/v L. awe/r50,

Patented Dec. 20, 1938 7 LOADING MACHINE John 1.. Clarkson, Nashville, :11.

Application October 25, 1934, Serial No. 749,902

' Renewed November 5, 1937 8 Claims.

This invention pertains to loading machines and more particularly to such as may be used for loading coal, broken stone, gravel, or like materials, into trucks or other receptacles.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a power loader of sturdy construction but which is light and mobile and which is capable of loading practically any kind of loose material.

Another object is to provide improved gathering mechanism for such a loader.

Another object is to provide arrangements whereby the material may be loaded into receptacles at different elevations with respectto the level on which the loader is operated.

Another object is to provide such a loader which, while gathering the material, will screen out dust or materials under a certain size granule.

Further objects will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure .1 is a side view of a loader embodying this invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of the gathering head;

Figure 3 isa similar plan view of the remaining portion of the machine;

. into receptacles at different elevations.

Referring to the drawings, I designates a traveling truck of any suitable type. In the embodiment illustrated this is shown as a Caterpillar type. It might, however, be arranged to run on a track or otherwise. The truck I is preferably self-propelling. In the embodiment illustrated power means are shown in the form of an internal combustion engine 2 mounted on the truck I and. connected to drive the propelling means thereof. These connections are shown in the form of a chain 3 driving a suitable sprocket on a countershaft 4 which in turn is connected by a chain 5 running over suitable sprockets to a second countershaft 6 which is similarly connected by a chain drive I to drive the Caterpillar tread. Any other suitable means of propulsion may, of course, be employed.

Pivoted at 8 on a bracket 9 on the truck I is a conveyor frame ID. This frame is mounted to slope upwardly and rearwardly and has mounted thereon so as to travel therealong an elevating conveyor II. This conveyor may be constructed as a flight conveyor of the usual type comprising side chains I2 joined at intervals by flights or scrapers I3. The chains and scrapers travel in a trough I4 carried by the frame I 0. The conveyor II is guided over suitable guide pulleys I5 suitably spaced along the frame ID. The pivot 8 comprises a shaft suitably journaled in the bracket 9 and carrying a sprocket connected by q a chain It to be driven by the countershaft 6. The shaft 8 carries a pair of sprockets over which the conveyor chains I2 are trained so as to be driven thereby. Suitable clutching devices, not shown, on the countershaft 6 may be arranged to go start and stop the conveyor or the traveling tread of the Caterpillar.

Mounted on the foreward end of the frame II] is a gathering head comprising a shoe I1 and a pair of gathering chains l8 mounted to travel in oribital paths on the shoe I7. These chains are driven by upright shafts I9 geared to a countershaft 2B journaled in the frame I0 and carrying a sprocket 2| over which one of the chains I2 is trained so that the gathering chains l8 are driven by the conveyor chains I2.

Each chain i8 is equipped at intervals with a. plate or bracket 22 to which a gathering arm 23 is pivoted at 2:1. The arms 23 are slightly concave on their forward faces so as to engage and retain the material. In rear. of the pivot lug 25 an abutment or stop plate 26 extends in such a direction as to engage the outer face of the bracket 22 when the arm swings outwardly on its hinge. This stop plate serves to fix the arm in gathering position with reference to the chain I8 so that it will scoop up and carry with it the material to be loaded. The chains I8 are so positioned on the shoe I I that the arms 23 extend substantially in advance of the forward edge 2'! of the shoe. As the shoe is positioned at an in clination to the ground surface, the lower edge 28 of the arm 23 is inclined upwardly as shown in Figure 6 so that the arm will extend along the ground in advance of the shoe in order to sweep {so the ground in gathering the material. The arms 23 are loose on their hinges 24. As they gather the material they are moved back until the abutment 26 engages the bracket 22. In this position they sweep around the lower end of their orbit 5:;

'of relatively small diameter.

and gather the material, moving the same upwardly along the shoe l1 and depositing the same upon the conveyor H. At the upper end of their orbit the chains I 8 pass over sprockets 50 Accordingly, as the arms turn outwardly around these sprockets they do so at a relatively high speed of rotation. This imparts momentum to the arms so that when the chain l8 enters the straight portion of its return path the momentum of the arm 23 causes it to swing forwardly on the pivot 24 to the position illustrated in Figure 2 for those arms positioned on the return portion of their path. A stop lug 29 may be provided on the face of the arm 23 so as to engage the side edge of a guard plate 30 which .covers the chain [8. This edge provides a guide adapted to position the arm 23 on its return path. The relation of the parts is such that the thrust of the bracket 22 in moving the arm forward tends to retain the lug against the guide thus provided. It will be noted that in this position the arm moves point first instead of with a sweeping motion which characterizes other portions of its travel. Accordingly, when the arm reaches the pile of material being operated upon it enters the pile with an endwise or thrusting movement. This arrangement considerably reduces the power required to drive the gathering chains asit requires less power to thrust the arm 23 into the pile with a stabbing motion than it does to move it into the pile with a sweeping motion, such as it would have if extended outwardly from the chain. Of course, once the arm has entered the material the resistance of the latter moves the arm outwardly on its hinge to its normal operating position. In Figure 2 the broken lines 3i indicate the paths of the tips of the arms 23.

This gathering head may be constructed in accordance with my Patent No. 1,904,355.

Just in rear of the gathering head the bottom of the trough I4 is perforated with an opening 32 of suitable extent in which is mounted a screen adapted to permit dust or finely granulated material to fall therethrough so as to be removed from the material before it is delivered. Any suitable type of screen may be employed. In the embodiment illustrated it consists of a series of screen bars 33 placed longitudinally of the conveyor in the opening 32. These bars are preferably wider at the top than at the bottom so that the openings therebetween are flared downwardly whereby choking of the screen is avoided. At the upper end of the screen an an gularly positioned shield 34 is positioned between each pair of bars 33. The purpose of this is to receive any particle of material which may not pass completely through the screen, but may have a portion-extending through the bars 33 and which is carried upwardly along the bars by the conveyor. The shield 34 operates to return such a particle to the trough so as to avoid its lodging against the upper edge of the opening 32 so as to cause jamming of the conveyor. A suitable hopper 35 is mounted below the screen 33 so as to collect the material screened out for disposal in any suitable manner.

The upper end of the frame ID has a section 36 thereof hinged -at 31 to the main portion of the frame so that it may be raised or lowered. This section has one or more forwardly extending arms 38 connected at 39 to a cable 40 adapted to be wound on a drum 4| on a cross shaft 42 mounted on the frame ID. A suitable crank 43 controlled by a pawl and ratchet device of any suitable character is provided to operate the cable 40 so as to raise and lower the section 36. The conveyor H is trained over suitable guides at the hinge 31 so as to follow the change of direction of the frame. This jointed arrangement of the conveyor makes it a simple matter to load trucks or other receptacles 49 located at different levels with respect to that on which the loader is operated as will be clearly seen from Figure 10.

The location of the pivot 8 for-the conveyor frame It) is so chosen with respect to the weight of the different parts that the forward end of the conveyor overbalances the rear portion whereby the gathering head will be lowered by gravity to the ground. In order to raise the gathering head for operation at different levels or for traveling, a down-haul device is provided comprising a cable 44 anchored to the truck I at 45 and passing over a pulley 46 at the hinge 3? and then downwardly to a drum 4'! operable by a crank 48 or other suitable device. The drum 4'! is also preferably controlled by ratchet stop or other device for locking it in adjusted position. This provides a simple device for elevating the gathering head, which is lowered by gravity when the cable 44 is payed out.

It will be seen that this invention provides a loader which may be of light construction and is yet capable of gathering and loading granular or lump materials in a simple and efiicient manner. The mechanism is of the simplest type so as to be economical to construct and capable of being handled or repaired by unskilled labor. In operation it may be propelled to any location Where the supply of material may be found. This may be a coal pile, or a gravel pit, or any other supply, and the device is adjustable for loading trucks and conveyances at any elevation within the limits of adjustment.

While this loader has been described as a unitary device it will be understood that individual features or subcombinations thereof may be useful by themselves without reference to other features and that the employment of such individual features or sub-combinations is contemplated by and within the scope of the appended claims.

It is obvious that various changes may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of this invention; it is to be understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the specific details shown and/or described.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a loader of the character described, an elevating conveyor, a gathering head mounted at an inclination to the horizontal at the forward end of said conveyor, a pair of endless gathering chains mounted for orbital movement on said head in orbits substantially at the inclination of said head, gathering arms movably mounted on said chains, and means for moving said chains having turning means causing said arms to execute a quick turn at the upper end of their orbit whereby the inertia of said arms operates to turn them into endwise-moving position with respect to their chains, and means for guiding said arms to retain them in such position during their forward movement so as to enter the material to be loaded with a thrusting movement endwise of said arms.

2. In a loader of the character described, an

elevating conveyor, a gathering head mounted at an inclination to the horizontal at the forward end of said conveyor, an endless gathering chain mounted for orbital movement on said head in an orbit substantially at the inclination thereof, a gathering arm pivoted for forward and rearward movement on said chain, means for guiding said chain in its orbital movement to cause said arm to swing inward along said chain at the rear end of its orbit, to move forward along said head endwise in thrusting position and to continue its endwise thrusting movement to a point beyond the end of said gathering head and thereafter to move in outstanding relation to said chain, a guide on said head, and an abutment on said arm engaging said guide to maintain said arm in thrusting position during its endwise movement along said head.

3. In a loader of the character described, in combination, a gathering chain, means guiding said chain to travel in an orbit lying in a reclining plane, a gathering arm movably mounted on said chain, and means to move said arm on said chain so as to position the same during its forward movement with its gathering face extending along the direction of its movement in order to enter the material vto be loaded by a movement endwise of said face.

4. In a loader of the character described, a gathering chain movable in an orbital path, a gathering arm movably mounted thereon, means for moving said chain having turning means causing said arm to execute a quick turn in its orbit whereby the momentum imparted to said arm by said moving and quick-turning means operates to turn the same into endwise-moving position with respect to said chain, and means for guiding said arm to retain it in such position so as to enter the material to be loaded with a thrusting movement endwise of said arm.

5. In a loader of the character described, in combination, a gathering chain, means guiding said chain to travel in an orbit extending forwardly and downwardly, then inwardly toward the center line of the loader and then rearwardly and upwardly, a gathering arm movably mounted on said chain, and means to move said arm on said chain from a position extending outwardly therefrom while moving rearwardly and upwardly in said orbit to a position extending along said chain while moving forwardly and dowwardly in said orbit.

6. In a loader of the character described, in combination, a gathering chain, a gathering arm movably mounted on said chain, and means for moving said chain and said arm thereon to progress said arm forwardly and downwardly while positioned with its gathering face extending along its direction of movement soas to thrust the arm endwise into the material to be loaded, the arm then changing its position relatively to said chain to extend outwardly therefrom and moving laterally inwardly toward the center line of the loader to gather the material inwardly and then moving upwardly and rearwardly in such extended position to carry the gathered material upwardly and rearwardly.

'7. In a loader of the character described, in combination, a gathering chain, a gathering arm movably mounted on said chain, and means for moving said chain and said arm thereon to progress said arm forwardly and downwardly while positioned with its gathering face extending along its direction of movement so as to thrust the arm endwise into the material to be loaded, the arm then changing its position relatively to said chain to extend outwardly therefrom and moving laterally inwardly toward the center line of the loader to gather the material inwardly and then moving upwardly and rearwardly in such extended position to carry the gathered material upwardly and rearwardly, said moving means operating at the upper end of said orbit to return said arm to its original position extending along said chain.

8. A loading machine of the character described, comprising, gathering mechanism traveling in an elongated reclining orbital path; gathering arms movably mounted on said mechanism for extension therefrom in an approximately horizontal direction, and means for controlling the movement of said arms to positions along said orbit when traveling forwardly and to positions angular to said orbit when traveling rearwardly.

JOHN L. CLARKSON. 

